New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored foliage; and large rounded bright red-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars with largerounded flowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2002 with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Cherry Red,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,646, as the female, or seed, parentwith the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kitamb, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 14,047, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Tamar ScarletRed was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in DeLier, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’ as a newand distinct Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant        growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Large rounded bright red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Tamar Cherry Red. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Tamar Cherry Red in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Cherry Red.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Tamar Cherry Red        differed in flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Kitamb. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in DeLier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plantsof the cultivar Kitamb in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Kitamb.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered earlier than plants of        the cultivar Kitamb.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Tamar Red, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conductedin De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed fromplants of the cultivar Tamar Red in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered later than plants of the        cultivar Tamar Red.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowersof ‘Tamar Scarlet Red’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Tamar Scarlet Red have not been observed underall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercialproduction practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the summer.Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers and theaforementioned photographs and following observations and measurementswere taken about ten weeks later. During the production of the plants,day and night temperatures averaged 20° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Scarlet    Red.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Cherry Red,            not patented.        -   Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kitamb, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 7 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 6 to 8 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white to brown in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and            uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching            habit; bushy appearance; freely flowering. Moderately            vigorous.        -   Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about nine weeks are            required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm            containers.        -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 39 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About nine. Length:            About 15 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Internode length: About            4 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster:            Slightly glossy. Color: 183A tinted with 146A to 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls with            about five leaves per whorl; simple. Length: About 11.5 cm.            Width: About 4.4 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Moderately glossy. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 144A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: 147C. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: Between 139A and darker than 147A;            venation, 194B to 194C. Fully expanded foliage, lower            surface: 191A; towards the base, 147C; venation, 182C.            Petiole: Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper            surface: 196C. Color, lower surface: 185C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, rounded, bright            red-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering;            usually about 20 flowers per lateral branch. Flowers            positioned just above the foliage; flowers typically face            upright to outward, typically parallel to the leaf canopy.            Petals not persistent; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not            fragrant.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden, plants flower from the spring throughout the            summer.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Between 43C and 45C.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.4 cm.        -   Flower depth (excluding spur).—About 1.8 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner            petals: About 2.4 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 2.6 cm.            Width: Banner petal: About 3.5 cm. Lateral and base petals:            About 2.9 cm. Shape: Banner petal: Reniform. Lateral and            base petals: Broadly obcordate. Apex: Banner petal: Rounded            to shallowly retuse. Lateral and base petals: Emarginate.            Base, all petals: Attenuate. Margin, all petals: Entire.            Texture, all petals, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous, satiny. Color: When opening, all petals, upper            surface: 44A to 44B. When opening, all petals, lower            surface: 44A. Fully opened, all petals, upper surface: 44A.            Fully opened, all petals, lower surface: 43A.        -   Spur.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Aspect:            Curved. Color, immature and mature: 46A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong,            flexible. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Color: 178B to            178C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused            at anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About            2 mm. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther color: 182D. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 158D. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma            color: 158D. Style: Not visible. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary            color: 143A to 143B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures of about 10° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Tamar Scarlet Red’, as illustrated and described.